Cupid Must Be A Sadist
by paranoid these days
Summary: chad realizes he's into ryan and panics. he get a girl. too bad she's gay, too. chyan fic. my first. please review! the rating is just cause there might be some naughty words, and later on a few things.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: not mine. you can sue if you want. *shrugs* all you'll get is some loose change and an old mint i found in my backpack the other day. **

**AUTHORS NOTE: to anyone whose actually reading, this will be a chyan fic. i added an OC, but i promise she won't be dating any of our guys for real. i may at times be mean or at least mock gariella or troy, 'cause i don't like either of them. but it'll be subtle, for all you sick troyella lovers out there. one more thing, i'll try my hardest not to make cemmy a mary sue, but if i accidentally do, let me know, 'kay? i can't change her drastically, so let me know soon if she's not up to standards. she won't be overly nice, sing well, have odd colored eyes, be very smart in school unless she studies, and all that. 'kay? 'kay. **

**btw, i'm thinking of not making ryan openly gay in this, because i'm sick of everyone assuming he is outrightly just cause he wears hats i'd love to have, and pants tighter than mine. **

**one last thing, i'm explaining this here, 'cause i don't want to in the fic. cemmy is relatively new in school, only been there about five months, but when you already have a best friend, getting a second one is easy and doesn't take long at all. i know you all know what i mean. when someone already officially has that "best friend" spot, you can have another just as fast. and that's cemmy in chad's life. he and taylor weren't friends before they "got together" (disney is sooooo kidding itself) so i don't get why people assume they would be after they "broke up". so cemmy is chad's girl best friend. **

**TIMELINE: between hsm and hsm 2. and i'm going to ignore the fact that chad and taylor seemed to be "together" in hsm 2 and 3. **

_"Load up on guns/ Bring you friends/ It's fun to lose, and to pretend/ She's overboard, self assured/ I know, I know/ A dirty word_

_Hello hello hello how low/ Hello hello hello how low/ Hello hello hello how low_

_With the lights out/ It's less dangerous/ Here we are now/ Entertain us/ I feel stupid and contagious/ Here we are now/ Entertain us..."_

---"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

"Where," Chad Danforth asked mysteriously at the lunch table, "are the snows of yesteryear?"

Cemmy faked a yawn and said, "Last year's snow melted into water in the spring thaw and can be found in streams, rivers, or the Great Lakes." Cemmy's real name was December Cheshire, but everyone still living called her Cemmy, save for her grandmother, who she was named after, but she was senile most of the time, so she didn't count. She had big almond shaped brown eyes, reckless, slightly self-mocking laugh, and an outrageous personality, which was caused by her size. After all, five nothing was not all that impressive for a junior. She had dark, almost black hair down to just past her shoulderblades, cut through with blood red streaks. Her long nails were painted neon green, like the shoeslaces of her combat boots. She wore indigo jeans and a black Sonic Youth tee. She was also a bit, er, tempestuous, although most people prefere the term "bitch".

Cemmy bit into a chocolate chip cookie as she asked, "What do they use to ship Styrofoam with?"

Chad answered, "Probably just a cardboard box, because the Styrofaom itself doesn't need any padding." He and Cemmy had made friends easily, as she'd taken the place of his girl best friend when he and Taylor reached that inevitable break-up. There had been no hard feelings, but it was awkward to try to be close again when they had nothing in common. Not everyone was good at being 'just friends' with girls like Ryan was with Kelsi. Chad could've easily gotten a date with any girl in school, but to be _friends_... God, that was exhausting.

"What are they doing?" Kelsi said in her tiny voice, softly inquiring.

"Exchanging philosophical questions." Ryan was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Why is there an expiration date on my sour cream?"

Gabriella said helpfully, "It probably starts to grow mold by then."

"Ewww..."

Everyone was quietly munching on their respective lunches as they thought up questions. Finally, Jason asked, a huge grin plastered on his face, "If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?"

"No, they'd just be considered to have MPD and suicidal tendencies, and given more medication." Martha answered.

Jason persisted, "When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?"

Chad replied, "In invisible ink."

"Why does the buttered side of the toast always land on the floor?" Zeke mused, contemplating his bagel and debating with himself whether to drop it to see if the statement applied to cream-cheesed bagels as well.

Cemmy, not to be outdone, said quickly, "It's heavier than the unbuttered side." Zeke decided that he was too hungry to waste food like that.

Troy looked excited. "I got one, I got one!"

"Spill it, 'Baller," Cemmy ordered. Troy beamed and asked,

"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" The rest of them sat in silence for a moment, stunned by the sheer idiocy of the question. Troy grinned, "That one stumped ya too, huh?"

After a moment, Kelsi brightened and recited, "A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood." Troy looked slightly disappointed. Kelsi turned to Cemmy and asked, "Why isn't phoenic spelled the way it sounds?"

"Because English is a language with many roots sources, and it's screwy."

Taylor shook her head, and said mostly to herself, "I think I'm just gonna sit here and eat my lunch quietly before my fragile hold on sanity is destroyed." And puntuated this with a bite of her yogurt.

"Eh," Cemmy said, gathering her hair to one side of her neck, "that's okay. I'm sick of questions."

The rest agreed and went back to their lunches. Some might find it odd that, while complete opposites, Cemmy and Kelsi had actually become what would would call 'pals'. Not buddies, buddies implies a closeness the two had yet to reach. But yes, they were 'pals'. However, both of them considered the other a 'friend', because Cemmy thought of people in two ways: friends and enemies. There was no middle term. And Kelsi becuase the others, save for Ryan, were all acquaitances, and none of them have really had more than a five sentence conversation with, and not even a one sentence conversation, one-on-one. Besides, lately Chad and Ryan had become good friends, and the four of them went on what some might call 'double dates', when it was really just two pairs of best friends sharing a variety of food and opinions on a variety of subjects.

Nobody really knows why Ryan and Kelsi are such good friends, but Cemmy's sure it has to do with the hats. And while she has her own collection, most of hers are newsboy caps, and the one she most wore was black, leather, and had a rhinestone "C" on it. She was wearing it now, backwards and high on her forehead, low in back, so that it cover most of her hair. The bill rested on her neck if she looked up even just a bit.

"So, what're we doing tonight, guys?" Troy asked, taking the pickle Cemmy had yet to eat from out of her brown bag.

"We should go to the mall." Cemmy grabbed the pickle back, dunked in into Ryan's orange yogurt and took a bite. Everyone who saw winced, but she didn't notice. "We'll, I dunno, go shopping for Sharpay-worthy stilettos and the boys can carry our bags because they're wonderful boyfriends and-slash-or incredably good people." Cemmy looked pointedly at Chad. "Right?"

The boys all shared looks with each other. As for couples, there were only Troy and Gabriella, Adam and Martha, and Zeke and Sharpay, who wasn't exactly a part of the group. The rest was Cemmy, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Chad, and Jason. The rest could have been couples. Kelsi and Ryan were already always together, and Cemmy and Chad had that regular playfully flirty banter and it kept the rest of the group laughing. Kelsi and Jason had broken up after a nearly non-existant relationship, and there were no hard feelings, so he and Taylor could've worked out. But it would've been so hard, a girl that pretty and smart was all too much for him. And on top of that, imagine the sheer clichéd-ness of it all: the ten of them out on a big quintuple date night? Ridiculous.

Besides, Sharpay would never actually go out with the lot of them, Taylor would never go out with Jason, especially since in would seem like she was trying to get back at Chad, Kelsi and Ryan would never get with the program and each other, and she and Chad would never fall for each other for real. But anyone can fake being in love with a hot toned basketball player, or a short but stacked brunette.

Which is probably they Cemmy and Chad reached the conclusion they did that previous day.

---

_"Who _cares_ what angles are congruent?" Cemmy muttered, grumbling a few swears when Chad laughed at her. Then she was reminded of why she wanted to talk to him. "Chad, I'm so screwed."_

_His eyebrows furrowed. "Why? This isn't that hard; I can't explain it to you but I'm sure Gabi or Tay or Martha could."_

_"No, that's not it." She closed her eyes and sighed. "That's not it at all." She leaned back in her chair, and Chad had never seen in friend looks so _spent_. _

_"What's going on?" he asked, placing a tentative hand on Cemmy's shoulder. _

_"There are girls who live their whole lives looking for that special someone to spend their lives with, and I hoped and prayed I wouldn't find him."_

_Chad tipped his head, confused. "Did you?" What was she getting at?_

_"No!" Cemmy tossed her hand up hopelessly. "That's the frigging problem!"_

_"What, that you haven't found Mr. Right yet? Look, I know we're friends and all, but maybe it would be easier to have this conversation with a girl. I"--Chad pushed his hair back with both hands--"I'm not good at this type of thing."_

_Cemmy was silent for so long, Chad thought the subject was closed. But then she said quietly, "I think what I'm saying is... that Mr. Right isn't... isn't a Mr." Cemmy wouldn't look up, although she was tempted to when she heard he maybe ex-best friend's sharp intake of breath. _

_"So," Chad said when he though he could without getting mad, "are you admitting you're in love with a girl or just that you're gay?"_

_"Maybe... both? Are you mad?"_

_"If this is why you've been so vacant lately, then yeah, I am. Best friends tell each other these things, Cem."_

_The accusation in his voice is what made her answer his next question. "How long?"_

_Cemmy sighed. "I've been wondering, trying to figure it out for a while. But I was kinda scared what you'd think."_

_"If I wasn't hiding something for the same reason, I'd be pretty pissed."_

_Cemmy sat up quickly, scanning Chad's face for a sign. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"_

_He sighed, and his expression mirrored the one on Cemmy's face just moments ago. "I think... yeah, you know... like... what you said... about... and, yeah. That."_

_"Soooo... both of us?" _

_"Apparently."_

_They looked at each other, and the panicked look was the same on all four brown eyes. "Shit," Chad said at the same time Cemmy said, "We're so screwed."_

_"What the hell are we gonna do?"_

_Chad rubbed his eyes till they were pink. "You know, the whole school is just waiting for us to hook up."_

_"True. I found Zeke and Jason betting on us the other day."_

_"So? Is that the plan?"_

_"I suppose."_

_"Okay."_

_"'Kay."_

_---_

How exactly does one go about making themselves "a couple", albeit a fake one? Chad had always gotten any girl he wanted, but even when it was a cheerleader, he'd never been friends with them beofre. How exactly was he to ask out a girl he was best friends with, in front of all his friends? It had to be perfect.

Should he go for a melodramatic "I've been into you for a long time; please say you feel the same" thing or a more normal "maybe we should just go out and see if we're compatable"? For one thing, he was not in the habit of suddenly considering going out with random friends, or using the word compatable, so he was thinking of going for a less Oscar worthy version of the first. But it would have to start with one of their disagreements. They were funny. He just had no idea how. They were never exactly planned, after all. He hoped Cemmy knew where he was going with this.

"Cem, I'm sure I'm not nice enough to let you drag me around a mall carrying all the shoes you will undoubtedly buy." He lifted aan eyebrow subtly, and Cemmy understood fully where he was going.

"Nice," she whispered appreciatively, then said normally, "Then I suppose you'll just have to date me."

"Good idea."

Cemmy blinked, like she didn't know he was about to say that. "Excuse me?" she asked stiffly. And watched, amused on the inside, disbelieving on the outside, as Chad turned to face her head-on and took her had in both in larger ones, and said, staring into her eyes as if he really meant it, "Cemmy... go out with me?"

Cemmy smiled, big and wide, then bit her bottom lip to unsuccessfully stifle it as she said softly, "Of course." Then she let Chad pull her into a tight hug, becuase if it was who she really wanted, Cemmy would let her hug her. Around them, their friends cheered, and she saw Jason hand Zeke ten dollars.

_"So, are you gonna tell me who yours is?" Chad asked, bumping Cemmy's shoulder with his own, as they walked into the library to finish studying what they hadn't in study hall. _

_"No way! I confessed first, now it's your turn." Cemmy didn't mention she already had a hunch who it was. She knew for a fact that she wasn't as obvious about who she liked as Chad was, but she was a trained people-watcher, and noticed things like these. Besides, their friends were painfully oblivious anyway. _

_"C'mon, ladies first."_

_"Precisely. So go ahead."_

_"Ouch."_

"It took you long enough," Gabriella laughed. The rest all congradulated them for "finally getting together", and the look of genuine happiness for her and Chad in her friends' eyes caused a slight pull at Cemmy's throat, like she wanted to cry. A glance in Chad's direction told her he felt the same. But they had a charade to put up.

_"No way!"_

_"I'm serious! She's so great." A wistful look came over Chad's friend's face, and he knew it was for real. But after a moment the look was gone and she said, "But you should talk! Ryan?! He's hot, sure, but still... all those sparkly hats could be damaging to your eyesight."_

_Chad rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Still, I think we're both dead."_

_"Why? I mean, if we pretend to be together, no one'll know."_

_"Yeah," he argued, "but it'll still suck seeing them every day and not be able to tell them, or anything."_

_They sighed in unison, and were momentarily thrown by the thought of how much they'd inevitably suffer from unrequited love. "Wait! I have an idea. Well, not a real idea, but a plan. I am so great at matchmaking. So I'll get you and Ryan together. He's such a poof, it'll be easy."_

_"But what about you? How're you gonna get yours?"_

_For a second, an emotion flashed in Cemmy's eyes, and her smile faltered. But the moment passed and she waved an impatient hand. "It's not gonna happen. You know it and I do, so let's just leave it alone. But! For you there is hope."_

_"Uhm..."_

_"C'mon! Who do you think got Zeke and Sharpay together?"_

_"His cookies?"_

_Cemmy gave Chad a look. "You seriously think cookies are enough to get Sharpay to ge out with some random, not even all that good-looking basketball player?"_

_Silence. It was true, after all._

_"But still, just 'cause you think Kelsi might not swing that way, you're gonna forget about her? You must not be that into her." It was a challenge, and both of them knew she'd respond. _

_Cemmy grabbed Chad's shirt in her fists and growled at him, "Hey, if you think for one second that if I liked her any less than I do that I'd tell you I was gay, you got another thing comin'."_

_"Good. Then you won't mind me playing cupid either."_

_"Let's just do our homework, 'kay?"_

_For nearly twenty minutes thay were quiet, the only sound the scraping of pencils ion paper. Then Chad said, "Wouldn't it be cool if they were together, and we were together, and for the same reason?"_

_"Sorry, but that theory's a bit _too_ clichéd for my taste." Then she started singing. "_I'm gonna avoid the cliché/ I'm gonna suspend my senses/ I'm gonna delay my pleasure/ I'm gonna close my body now._"_

_Chad shook his head, a sad look in his eyes at what they were trying not to think about. He joined in the chorus. "_I'll just die another day..._"_

_----_

"Sooo... mall tonight?" Cemmy still waited for everyone to agree. But the look of distaste in the boys' eyes was enough for her to give in, saying, "I promise no one will buy shoes."

A chorus of okay's and yes's made her dunk another pickle into Ryan's yogurt. The groans made her smile, and she noticed Chad looking at Ryan, who was talking to Kelsi. Chad and Cemmy shared a look. Only one question really remained, besides the obvious ones.

_Can we pull it off?_

**please review!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**yay, i'm back!!!!!!!!! and i finally got a review, yay!!!!**

**i was totally sick, and had to go to the hospital and didn't eat and had a really bad fever and slept all day and it was really bad and....... and now i'm going to stop or else you won't read the rest. **

**P.S. i mad a mistake guys!! this is between hsm2 and 3, after ryan and chad got all gay. you nkow what i mean. on with the story.**

"What's this word?" Chad handed a piece of paper to Gabriella, who Taylor and Cemmy leaned over to see what was written.

"I have no idea, Chad."

"Fngh," Cemmy said aloud. "Oh, yeah. That's the sound nerds make when they push glasses that aren't falling up the bridge of their noses."

"Yeah," Taylor agrued, "but if the glasses are falling they still make that sound."

"But how many times do nerds actually shove glasses that're actually falling?" She and Chad had decided that when they were faced with inevitable times where they had to canoodle, hug, hold hands, and etc., they would, no questions. They could not, could_ not_ seem uncouple-ish. And while there were plenty of couples that are fine with kissing with an audience, they were also many that did not. However, it was common knowledge that Chad Danforth was not one of the latter. So they were probably going to be faced with times when they would have to kiss. But Cemmy was not the type to let this happen too soon, real relationship or not.

"What are you guys doing?" Troy asked when there was a lapse in the conversation.

"Discussing odd noises nerds make when shoving spectacles up their noses." Hmmm. Somehow that seemed to sound better in Cemmy's head.

Jason sighed. "When I'm the sensible one, we're in deep trouble." Everyone gave a collective chuckle, and continued to wait around for the rest of the group. When Kelsi and Ryan arrived, Martha asked, "Hey, where's Sharpay?"

"Well," Cemmy said, eyes twinkling, "It _is_ raining outside, maybe she melted."

"Hey!" Ryan laughed. "That's my sister you're talking about."

"Ehmigawd, really?" Cemmy tossed her hair flirtatiously. "I guess the co-coordentated outfits should've tipped me off... eh, but I've never been that perceptive."

"Don't worry, she and Zeke said they'd be here in a few minutes." Ryan looked over Chad's shoulder, who he'd sat across from, and smiled. "Or less."

Familiar heels clacked on the mall's linoleum and in a flurry of sequins, Sharpay arrived, on Zeke's arm. In lieu of a hi, Sharpay leaned over the table and whispered as if Chad and Cemmy couldn't hear, "Did everyone apparently forget that this is sort of Cemmy snd Chad's first date and they totally have to have the rest of us trailing around after them?"

A murmur of agreement rose and Cemmy looked at cad for a split second before he said for her, "But guys, before we got together we were always togther, and we want things to stay the same, y'know?" And Cemmy nodded furiously.

"Precisely." Sharpay seemed to have planned this all out. "But since I know we can force you to a restaurant and a movie, I think it would be easier for all of us if we just make this one big date night."

They couldn't exactly object. Sharpay went on, "And in honor of our group's newest couple, they get to choose what we do next time. So go ahead."

Chad opened his mouth, but Cemmy quickly said first, "Karaoke night." The only way to repay Sharpay of her _favor_: listen to a bunch of tone-deaf kids singing not show tunes--with the exception of Gabriella, Troy and her brother. (A/N: I'm ignoring the fact that Taylor, Zeke, Martha, and Chad all sing in the movies.)

While everyone looked at Cemmy incredulously, she just stared Sharpay down till she agreed. Sharpay and Cemmy had never rrally liked each other much, and with good reason. The big cats can't share a cage.

Sharpay nodded. "Okay. Tomorrow night, after the game. My place."

"_Our_ place, Shar," Ryan reminded his twin. She waved his away like a fly.

"Oh my God, it's Jay! I _have_ to go talk to him. Be right back." Cemmy ran off across the mall, yelling "Jay! I haven't seen you in _months_!" Most people turned to look.

Ryan asked Chad, "You let her run off after other guys?" For a moment Chad wondered why it should matter, then remembered she was his girlfriend. He shrugged.

"Jay's a good friend of hers. Besides, I can't exactly do anything." He nodded towards where Cemmy was now bouncing up and down next to a huge Hawaian guy in a tank top, with tattoos up and down both arms like sleeves. Ryan laughed, and for a moment Chad's heart stopped. When it started again, he looked at Ryan and asked, "Maybe I should go over there?"

"It'd probably be a good idea."

"Watch my back," he said over his shoulder, and Ryan call, "Not a problem." And Chad's breath catches 'cause he's pretty sure that was flirting but he forces himself not to think about it.

"...and it's so bad, Jay, you have no idea. All of them think we really like each other, even_ them_ and Chad and I are totally screwed. Becuase we really like them and we don't wanna lie to them, but we _have_ to. It's one thing to be gay, it's quite another to be in love with someone in your group of friends." Cemmy had the same defeated look on her face she had that day in study hall, and she leaned against the counter. When she saw Chad, she grinned, "Jay, this is Chad, my _boyfriend_."

Jay smiled. "Hi, I'm Jay. Cemmy was just telling me about your little problem."

Chad snorted. "Somehow my problem's don't seem all that 'little'."

"Anything but," Cemmy agreed. Then she brightened. "But onto sunnier pastures. This is where my semi-jealous boyfriend asks how Jay and I met." She looked expectantly at Chad.

Chad cleared his throat, crossed his arms, and an appropriate look of jealousy came over his face. "So, how do you and Cemmy know each other?" he asked Jay gruffly.

Jay laughed, and he seemed considerably less scary. "I did her tattoos." A guilty look flew over Cemmy's face. Jay's easy tone turned scolding. "You didn't show him yet?" Cemmy gave him a look of pleading. "Oh, you didn't tell him about that either, did you?" Cemmy looked at Chad for just a moment, then shook her head.

"I will, I will." Again she looked at Chad. "Later."

Chad decided not to push her, as he knew his best firend always kept her word. Jay seemed to think the same thing. He looked out the door of his tattoo parlor. "You kids better go; you're friends are getting kinda worried." They started to leave, and Jay said, "I'm gonna go see Ace tomorrow, you wanna come?"

Cemmy blinked, and said slowly. "No. No, just give him my love." She shook her head as if to rid the sadness, and gave her standard Cemmy-grin. "We have to go be a couple. Bye Jay. Love you!"

"Nice meeting you!" Chad called as Cemmy dragged him out and over to where their friends waited. As soon as they got to the table, Chad said, "Did you know Cemmy has a tattoo?"

Everyone demanded to see it. Cemmy glared daggars at them, and Jason said, going back to the second grade, "Ha ha, looks can't kill."

Cemmy clenched her teeth and turned her back to them. Then she lifted her tee up to just past the middle of her ribcage. They were in a public place, after all.

"Whoa," Kelsi said, impressed. An incricately designed dragon was drawn on Cemmy's lower back, in silver and purple, with shadows of black and gray. You couldn't see it's tail, so Kelsi figured it was around Cemmy's middle. The dragon was made to look like it was crawling up her back, but it was twisted and folded into itself, as if stretching out slowly, so that it was entirely below her waist.

"Seeing as how you're going to find out," Cemmy said, yanking her top down with finality, "I should tell you I have more than one." She pushed up the short sleeve of her band tee and half a broken gray heart was there. Then she pulled her her hat, toosed it onto the table, and gathered her hair, lifting it off her neck, and showed a tiny ace of spades in green dead center.

Chad felt kinda bad now, because the sad look on his friend's face was almost too much. But he knew she wasn't mad. _I think she's just thinking of whoever Jay was talking about, _Chad thought. When Cemmy let her hair fal back down, he picked up her hat and put it back on her head. Then he took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. While it was mostly just for show in fornt of the others, it was okay for them. Most of the things they did as a "couple" was just an extent of their friendship.

"So," Cemmy said brightly, snapping out of her daze, "what do we do now that cornering Cemmy time is over?"

Jason looked from Cemmy to Gabriella to Taylor to Martha. "What exactly are mumps?" And after that, things were pretty much back to normal.

---

The next evening, after the Wildcats won a game 24-22, they all went over to the Evans' mansion for the inevitable karaoke. As it turned out, Ryan and Cemmy had seemingly been in cahoots for what song to perform with. Cemmy said she'd decided to do some random show tune. Ryan had said that he had decided to sing a 1980's rock song. Hardly so. He sarenaded Kelsi with the Knacks' "My Sharona". Afterwards, in front of everyone, he asked Kelsi to go out with him, and she'd smiled that sweet smile she had, and agreed. And Cemmy could've sworn an iron hand had squeezed her heart till it stopped beating. nah, probably not. It would've hurt less. But Cemmy was never one to go back on her word.

It was, honestly, incredably odd seeing Cemmy sing such a soft, non-metal sounding song, that it her voice barely regstered in anyone's head. No one had really heard her sing, without screaming violent sounding lyrics, so they had no idea her voice was so soft. Not that her singing was really... you know, _good_, but it wasn't as horribly schreechy as it is when she sings AC/DC songs. She'd chosen the song "Summertime", rerecorded by the New Kids on the Block. Not only was it strange to hear her sing this song, was it odd to see her with the look that was on her face, and her slowly rocking back and forth, holding the mic to her lips with both hands as if she could barely stand the weight. But scariest of all was that halfway through the first chorus, everything about her changed. Cemmy's soft, fluid movements, her voice, everything. Her voice, the slight rotations of her hips, and the look in her eyes went from subtle to sultry in a matter of nanoseconds.

"_...the though of you still makes me crazy." _With each beat, she took a step closer to Chad, her eyes never wavering from his face, no matter how much she was aching to look at Kelsi, or at least Ryan. That bastard. _"I think about you in the summertime, I'm sitting here in the sun with you on my mind. You're my, my summertime." _And by the time she started in on the next verse, the anger she still felt towards both integrants of the "perfect couple" made her act as stripper-ish as a metalhead possibly could. She climbed on top of Chad, stradling his legs. _"Do you remember," _and she leaned in close to Chad, tilting her head to the left, and leaning cloer, glancing back and forth between his eyes and his lips as if she was going to kiss him. _"I'll never forget," _and she pulled away a fraction of an inch, but made it clear she wasn't going to kiss him, a playful smile on her lips, but the sex-crazed look still on her face--god, she should be an actress, she had never been _less_ turned on--and placed a hand on his colarbone. Then she lifted just her palm and ran her fingers down his chest slowly, here eyes never leaving Chad's as she continued singing. _"Touching your body all soaking wet. The water was cool, the feeling was hot. Kissing on you while the ocean rocked."_ Cemmy stopped as she reached the waist band of his low-rise jeans. After that, she continued the song. She stood and circled her boyfriend, running her hand s on his shoulders and face softly. Her self-control had exhausted and she did the rest of the song glancing at Ryan and Kelsi occasionally.

It didn't help much that every time Cemmy saw Kelsi laugh at something Ryan said or giggle every time they touched, she nestled farther between Chad's thighs. Chad wasn't exactly please either. Especially not when Ryan and Kelsi, as the newest couple, decided they go to a club on the next group date.

The rest was history.

**please rewiew!!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**this chapter's for mel. hope it meets your expectations. i think it met mine. **

Chad and Cemmy were sitting in her bedroom. It didn't look like anything Chad expected. Although he supposed he should stop expecting anything from Cemmy. The girl was like a box of Cracker JAck. Not even, atleast with the Cracker Jack you know you get a prize. Cemmy was more like a jack-in-the-box. Her room was painted deep purple, like a plum, except for the ceiling, which was lavender, like the curtains. The tiny single person couch in the corner was black, with incoherent words all over in gray. Her bedspread was dark, light, all shades of purple in different patterns, each one a different patch, o that it looked like a crazy quilt. And no matter how girly Cemmy claimed not to be, all the perfumes in a variety of colors in tiny bottles on her shelves pretty much shoved _that _theory out the window and under an on-coming truck.

They ended up only going to the club three weeks later, seeing as how going to a club was not exactly first date material, Sharpay claimed. And even though Kelsi and Ryan had been couple-ish for, like, _ever_, everyone agreed with Sharpay. Cemmy took it as an inevitable sign of the apocalypse.

Chad watched Cemmy tackle her nails with a pile of cotton balls and a big bottle of nail polish remover. "Why are you taking off your nail polish? You said yourself that the neon was your trademark."

Cemmy had moved on to her last nail. "Well, on special occasions, I choose a different color."

Sounded normal. Chad always had to check, because he didn't remember jerking off in the shower to a guy as normal for him before. "What color?"

"Orange." She waved her hands in the air for the remover to dry; no use painting now. "Help me find something to wear? I have to look fabulous. Of all places, a club?"

"Yeah," Chad agreed, shaking his head. "Who knew little Kelsi had it in her?"

----

Two hours later, after Cemmy had chosen Chad's outfit, in a fit of paranoia she called Sharpay and asked what she should wear. Sharpay had invited her over to her house, seeing as all the girls--minus Taylor, who'd gotten herself a college boyfriend, yay!--had gathered there with a suitcase full of possible clothes to wear. Only one thought registered in Cemmy's head: Kelsi would be there. So she went. Even though she knew all the girls would be talking about their boyfriends.

----

The girls had decided, after much discusion on what looked best on what skin tone, that Martha would wear brown to bring out her eyes. Sharpay would wear anything sparkly, deciding on pink. Garbriella wore dark green, Kelsi wore light blue, and Cemmy wore navy. The whole group was going to sleep over the Evans' house, because they'd probably be coming home late.

Cemmy had flat out refused to wear a micromini, no matter how many times Sharpay said it would make her look tall. She chose skintight stonewashed capris with navy heels, courtesy of Sharpay Evans. Were they becoming... friends? This was getting scary.

Cemmy glanced at the other car. Sharpay and Ryan had decided it would be better for all the couples to only see each other when they got there, considering all the time the girls spent to make themselves gorgeous. A thought suddenly occured to Cemmy. How come the twins did all the planning? For, like, everything?

And, imagine Cemmy's shock to find that Sharpay and Ryan had been in cahoots this whole time. But how the hell he got all of them, including her slogan-T-shirt-only boyfriend in club worthy clothes--that co-coordinated with hers!--was seriously trippy. She didn't even want to think about it. As all the girls trailed over to greet their boyfriends, Cemmy followed and kissed Chad's cheek. "You look great," he said, like a good boyfriend, and took her hand, held it above her head, and twirled her slowly to look at her.

"Thanks," Cemmy beamed. They were getting so good at being together, they were cuter than Ryan and Kelsi, who were, undoubtedly, adorable. Cemmy glanced at them, and Kelsi was giggling as Ryan said how great she looked. Anger burned in Chad's eyes, mirroring hers, and she knew what she wanted to do. But since she couldn't, she settled for the next best thing. "Pretend I'm Ryan," she whipsered. And before she could think about it, she stood on tip-toes and kissed Chad's lips. She kissed with the aggression she would've used if she could've kicked Ryan's ass.

Chad didn't mind that a girl was kissing him, because he knew it was fake. And he kissed back beacuse, well, they were friends, and even if it was fake, they _were_ going out. Chad didn't worry about how he kissed like all those many other times when it was cheerleaders or just hot girls because those had all been soft and timid. Not even the times he'd been with total hos, they kissed with less aggression than this. Well, with aggression yeah, but Cemmy kissed with anger. And that was completely different. Besides, he didn't worry this time because it wasn't love or even passion. It was pent up rage and frustration with themselves and Ryan and Kelsi, and he didn't think about anything but kissing back, because this was just anger, and anger was never anything he had to think about.

And when he pulled away, the charade was back up and Cemmy giggled, bitting her lip. Chad smiled back. Simumtaneously he and Cemmy looked at Ryan and Kelsi and knew the same thought was going through his girlfriend's mind: _Ha! Take that! My relationship's better than yours and it isn't even _real_!_

_Why are they looking at me like that? _Ryan thought bewilderedly as the rest of his friends catcalled at the couple that had locked lips once more.

----

Even without ID, Sharpay got them in. With the pulsing music, Kelsi found it a bit hard to breathe. This wasn't her type of music by a long shot. What had she been thinking?

She followed Cemmy to the bar and ordered two Prairie Fires. "What the hell were you thinking?! This isn't your thing at all!" Cemmy shouted over the music.

"The same thought was going through my head." Kelsi shook head head as if it would make the music stop invading her mind. She grabbed the drink when it came on a little cocktail napkin.

Cemmy, used to this, knew Kelsi wasn't. She watched as the girl sniffed the drink in her hand. She was so beautiful. She abandoned her glasses, and wore a pink fedora over her fluffy curls. She pulled nervously on a spaghetti strap of her baby blue cami. Cemmy said, "On three?" Kelsi nodded, knowing this was going to hurt.

"One, two, three!" Both slammed down the shots. Kelsi's eyes brimmed with tears as the mixture burned her throat. She gasped and coughed after she'd swallowed. "What was that?" she rasped.

Cemmy grinned, and asked the bartender for another. "Tequila, 151, and Tabasco Sausce." She grinned as Kelsi stated another coughing fit. "You did good, I'm proud of you." She watched as the angelic face contorted in discomfort. "You want another?"

---

Chad noticed that there were a couple of guys dancing with each other. He knew for a fact noneof their friends were homophobes, but wondered if they'd be okay with someone in their circle of friends being gay.

After Ryan had let Kelsi go back to the bar to stay with Cemmy, who was surrounded by little empty glasses, he wondered if he'd dance with him. He glanced back at Cemmy. Chad was glad they were together. They already spent a lot of time together; maybe his girl was close to getting who she wanted. Chad took a deep breath and a turned to Ryan, about to ask, when the words left Ryan's mouth instead.

"Wanna dance?" he asked, as Cassi's "Me and U" started. He blinked in shock, and let Ryan tug his body towards his, their hips way too close for straight-boy comfort. But once Ryan's hands stopped running down his sides to settle low on his hips, he let himself sink into happiness for the first time since he could remember.

---

Cemmy, feeling bold, and a little tipsy, stood once Britney Spears' "Womanizer" started up. She extended a hand in Kelsi's direction and said, "Care to dance?"

Kelsi tilted her head and thought a moment. "Sure. Why not?" and stood as well, taking Cemmy's hand, laughing as she spun her like a balerina till they were in the middle of the dance floor. She turned Cemmy around, and danced behind her, hands around her waist and Cemmy's on her wrists. They moved completely in sync, and half way through the song Cemmy turneed around, placing her hands on Kelsi's hips, pulling her to her firmly, so close you couldn't slide a credit card between them. Kelsi laughed, pulled her hat off her head and put in on Cemmy's head, keeping her hand behind her head, and in close proximity. One of Cemmy's hands snaked up to Kelsi's arm, keeping Kelsi's hand there as well. Kelsi's other hand found Cemm'y lower back, and stayed there for the rest of the song.

----

_Must mistake me you're a sucker/ To think that I would be the victim of another... _These words were lost on Chad, as all he could feel was Ryan's hands on his hips. And then, suddenly, looking into eyes and seeing a look that matched the lust he'd been feeling towards those very same eyes, let his slip closed as he felt the softest of lips on his. And he didn't want to think of what would happen when those lips weren't on his anymore. He didn't want to think of who else's lips they'd been on, include the girlfriend he also didn't want to think about. Al he wanted to think about was the tongue that was slowly exploring his mouth and caressing his, and the arms that tightened around him. _Say it, play it how you wanna, but no way I'm ever gonna fall for you, never you, baby...._

----

When the song ended, they'd danced many more times. Apparetnly Cemmy's no dancing policy went out the window when she was drunk. Kelsi grinned. Well, she supposed certain policies didn't count when it was with another girl. Besides, she was drunk. Cemmy was, anyway. Kelsi hadn't made it any farther than that one Prairie Fire. She watched Cemmy down one more, and ask her to dance again. Kelsi smiled even bigger, and followed her once again to the dance floor. But when Cemmy then climbed onto a platform and shimmied her body, waiting for Kelsi to join her as many continued dancing, while watching her. "Come on!" she cried. And for some reason, Kelsi climbed up as well, not thinking of anything but dancing with her friend.

----

But it had to end, eventually. And it did. But only when Ciara's "Get Up" started, and people cheered as well as they could while danceing, two girls dancing on a platform. Ryan recognized Kelsi and Cemmy. He pointed them out to Chad, and grinned. "We're pretty lucky to have girls like that."

Chad had agreed, looking at him in a strange way, tipping his head adorably. And Ryan pulled his body towards his again, pushing his concience away as he forced his lips onto the ones in front of him.

-----

Around maybe 2:30, Ryan and Sharpay drove the rest home, and the sober Wildcats dragged the drunk ones into the cars. Martha, Cemmy, Kelsi, and Gabriella went in Sharpay's car, and the boys went in Ryan's. The only reason was because the girls wanted to grill Cemmy on where she learned to dance like that, and she was the one less likely to puke in a pink convertable. She was pretty good at holding down whatever she'd drank,she'd informed them on many occassions. Also, the only other drunk one was Jason, and the boys needed to help hold him up when he was puking. The stopped many times on the way home. Troy, Adam, and Zeke insisted Ryan and Chad find out where their girlfriends learned to dance beacuse, as they put it, it was "fucking hot".

---------------------------------------------------------------**Chyan----------------------Kelsi/Cemmy**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cemmy had been in the bathroom for the last fifteen minutes and Kelsi couldn't help but wonder if she'd fallen asleep in there. She said she'd just brush her teeth; she wasn't a shark, for God's sake! After a few more moments, the light went off and the door opened. A sleep-drunk Cemmy stumbled over and collapsed on top of Kelsi. Lucky she was tiny. Kelsi laughed, and couldn't see anything with all the red and black hair in her face. "Cem?"

Cemmy lifted her head, and the look of blurry-eyed confusion of having some other girl lying underneath her was adorable. "You wanna get off me?" She mumbled something incoherent and dropped her head back onto Kelsi's shoulder. She rolled her yes. There was no reasoning with a sleep deprived Cemmy Cheshire.

"You don't care that the bed might colapse with our combined weight?" There was no point in thinking that even if she went to the other side the weight would remain the same. Cemmy wouldn't understand anyway. But maybe if she got off, she'd think she was on another bed.

Cemmy, without opening her eyes, mumbled, "No. You're warm."

Kelsi pushed dark hair away from Cemmy's face. She laughed softly, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, then." After a few moments, when she was sure Cemmy's sleep had come, she pressed her lips to the other girl's, and then fell asleep herself.

**yay!!!!! chyan and cemmy/kelsi!!!!! i hope that wasn't moving too fast, but don't forget, their drunk, okay? things'll go back to normalin the mrning, with freaking out, doubting sexuality and all that. or maybe not... you'll have to review to find out!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**i'm soooooooooooooooooooooo sorry to everyone who's reading. i am currently in a new obsession: tokio hotel fanfics. soo much hottness. oh god. *fans herself* anyway, hope you guys forgive me. i moved a bit fast with the club chapter, and i think things didn't go that well. there's lots of stuff for me to figure out, and the next chapter will be out soon. promise. **

Blood. So much blood, everywhere. Cemmy had blood all over her, and she didn't even know if any of it was hers. A limp, barely conscious body was in her arms, and it was his blood theyu were covered in. When he blinked, his eyes stayed shut longer than Cemmy could stand to watch. When he opened them again, his eyes held affection for the girl, and Cemmy had to force herself to smile for him. HIs eyes fell shut.

They didn't open again.

---

Cemmy awoke with a start, hand pressed over her mouth, and sprinted to the bathroom, hangover and all. She kneeled in front of the toilet and heaved almost painfully, emptying her stomache. "God," she muttered, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her pajama top. It was morning already. She'd better get downstairs. Everyone was already up. She looked down. Her hands were shaking. "Coffee. I just need coffee," she told herself.

She stood and washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair back into a messy bun. She tilted her head, and stared at herself for a moment. "Well, as usual, this is as good as it's gonna get." She wasn't talking about her appearance. Then she went downstairs.

---

Everyone watched in awe and a little disgust as Cemmy ate a bolw of cornflakes with vanilla yogurt instead of milk, and honey, along with a huge cup of coffee, mixed with chocolate syrup. and olives. "I've been thinking about this all night, in my sub-conscious," Cemmy admitted. No one answered, but Troy did his best to tear his gaze away. Once he managed to do that, all his brain power was focused on his French toast. Not a whole lot of brain power, but it would have to do.

"Guys," Cemmy said, pushing her hair back, and licking a spot of chocolate off her thumb, "I have to go; there's some things I have to do today. They're... kind of important. Some friends I haven't seen if a while, promised I'd visit." SHe grabbed the aspirin from next to Jason, who had been cradling it like a baby, and popped to pills into her mouth, swallowing them dry. "Thanks, Shar, Ry, I had a great time last night." She gave Chad a little peck on the lips, grabbed her bag off the counter, and left without another word.

---

It was raining. Hard, and there were no signs of it stopping soon. Cemmy was sitting in the mud, back against a large tree. She was soaked. What was she _doing _here? There was nothing left here for her, for them. Not after all that. She pulled her cell out of her pocket and dialed Chad's number. ONe, two, three rings, and he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Cemmy said, pulling in a shaky breath. "Do you... Can you come with me? To see a friend? I really want you to meet him. Please?" she pleaded.

"Okay," Chad answered, concerned. "Cem, are you okay? You sound weird."

"I'm fine. Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

---

Chad was worried, but Cemmy wasn't telling him anything. He knew she'd tell him in her own time, so it was best to leave her alone. She was actually not playing any form of rock for once. Madonna's "Like A Prayer" was playing. it was kind of scary.

"This song is so sad," Cemmy said, closing her eyes when she felt that familiar pull at her throat.

Chad looked surprised. "Why? _Like a Prayer_ is one of Madonna's best songs."

"I know. It's just... listen to the lyrics. She's in pain. She puts this guy a a golden pedestal, and there's no way he can love her back. It's like he's too good for her; no, not even that. It's that she _adores_ him, in a way that's just not healthy, and there's no possible chance to get that feeling back."

"I don't quite get it."

"Well, see, it's happy too. Like, the first verse. Life's all suckish because no one really has anyone for real, but when this person is with her she feels safe, even if she can't really be with him. "I can take you there", I think it means that even though this person is unattainable, if he weren't, she'd do everything for him; she just wants him to know that she'll be his everything. Just like he's everything to her. And then, one of the last parts, "Just like a prayer, you voice can take me there/ Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery/ Just like a dream/ You are not what you seem/ Just like a prayer, no choice you voice can take me there". Wll, that's sad too, but it's like... he's so incredable, he's not even real to her, you know? Like that level of perfection can only bee acheived in her dreams. That's why she says "muse"; it's like something that inspires you, something holy, like a god. And the last line, "No choice your voice can take me there". Even though he can't be with her, he takes her place she can't get to on her own, and she wants to do the same for him. And she _can_, but she can't 'cause they can't be together like that."

For once Chad thinks Cemmy might like Kelsi a whole lot more than she can handle. But the moment was gone as quickly as it came, and she ejected the disc, replacing it with another. "November Rain started up, and not another word was spken till they arrived.

It was still raining. Cemmy had left her car in a parking lot, and had taken Chad's hand, dragging him thorugh a maze of gravestones. Chad tried to keep up with her pace and finally said loudly over the srain, "Cemmy? Is this friend of yours by any chance dead?"

"Yeah," she said. She stopped finally in front of a grave. The stone said Acheron Cheshire. "Hey you," Cemmy said softly, her voice laced with affection. "Sorry I haven't been around much. Things have been busy." Without turning away, she gestured for Chad to come closer. "This is Chad, my boyfriend. I'm sure Jay told you about us. I really hope you'll be able to meet Kelsi one of these days. Ryan too. Look, it's raining buckets out here. I'll come back later, 'kay, sweetie? I love you." She kissed the wet gravestone, and ran her fingers over the name engraved. Then she stood, and pulled Chad away. Only a a few feet away, behind the grave and off to the side. If a person were in it's place, they wouldn't have been able to see the two.

Cemmy was quiet. "That was my brother, Acheron, but we called him Ace. That's why I have the ace of spades on my neck. He died last year."

"What happened?"

"He was gay. People didn't really like that. And he was beaten up a lot. ONe day they just... went too far." Cemmy's eyes glazed over slightly as she remebered what had happened.

%%%%

_Cemmy felt fear stirring in the pit of her stomach. The sickening sound of a baseball bat coming in contact with flesh vibrated in her ears, and she started running towards an alley, where a light was on. She saw six figures, surrounding a seventh, and she thought the worst, which turned out to be true. Ace was practically swimming in a pool of his blood. Before doing anything, Cemmy pulled out her celll phone and dialed 911, informing the woman on the line of what was happening and where she was. She was rather hysterical, but she knew if they heard her, and knew the poilce were coming, they wouldn't waste their time beating her up as well, as they had on numerous other occasions. _

_They saw her and ran, and Cemmy did nothing to stop it. She dropped down on her knees beside her brother, pulling his body close. She was cold and losing lots of blood. "Ace? Sweetie? Ace, look at me. It's me Cemmy, open your eyes, please," she begged, and finally he complied. _

_His eyes were completely devoid of fear, but they were still nearly identical to hers. He couldn't speak, but his eyes showed all his love for his only sister and best friend. She made herself smile, and kept herself from crying. She would only scare him. "I love you," she whispered. He took her hand, and she squeezed it. She returned the pressure. He began taking longer to open his eyes when he blinked as if he were tired, and he was. After a few moments, he didn't open them at all. Cemmy squeezed her eyes shut so tight she saw stars, and when the pressure in her hand went away, she felt tears fall down, and saw them mingle with the blood on her dearest friend's face. _

%%%%

"I was so scared they were gonna hurt him. They had to pry him away from me." Chad couldn't tell what were tears and what were raindrops anymore. "There was blood everywhere, and him, on me... I don't even remember what happened after that."

Chad could comfort her in only one way. He wrapped his arms around her, as the sobs wracked her body. They stood there until longer after she stopped crying. Around them, the rain continued to fall.

**feedback makes me world go round. please, make me dizzy.**


	5. Chapter 5

**sorry its so short, but the next chapter will be longer, and i think it'll be the last, or next to last. i have it pretty mcu hfigured out, so don't worry, it should be up in a few days, maybe even tomorrow.**

Monday morning, everything was back to normal. Cemmy was insane, Chad's hair was weird, Jason was clueless, and Troy and Gabriella were love sick. Just the way things should be.

Cemmy was staring off into space, like she usually was during American History class, when her desk suddenly came in contact with a ruler. She looked up sweetly to the teacher. "Yes?"

The teacher scowled, but it barely phased her. "What were we talking about?"

"A reptile's reprodution system," she said confidently.

The teacher's face brightened. "Oh, good. Too bad this isn't Biology."

Cemmy gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Well, I tried."

"Maybe you could try a little harder?"

Cemmy nodded mechanically, and the teacher walked away to continue the discussion.

---

Before he went off to basketball practice, Chad talked to Ryan. But the jist of the conversation is this:

"Look, Chad," Ryan said, "we were at a bar, we'd all had a few drinks. We both have girlfriends. Yeah, I want you, you're hot and all, but neither of us is single. And we both care about Cemmy and Kelsi, and I know you wouldn't do that to her, the same way I wouldn't do anything to Kelsi. W had some fun, but..." he let that hang. "You better get to practice. You're late."

Okay, so that wasn't what _really_ happened, but it got the same feeling of Chad's heart being forcefully wrenched out of his chest.

---

Cemmy was _so_ okay with going back to juvie as long as she went with a vial Ryan Evans' blood tucked into her suitcase. After she threatened to cut off Chad's hair, he'd spilled and told about their short but highly unfortunate conversation.

As soon as Drama was over, Cemmy pulled Ryan--who hadn't seen her creep up behind him--over to the lockers and shoved him up against them. "Do you mind? This is silk."

"You are such a bastard," she said.

"You, know," he said in a conversational tone, "you're not the first person to say that to me."

"I'll bet." She shoved him harder, lifting him slightly, considering how short she was, that was an accomplishment on its own. "If you ever come near my boyfriend again, I will kill you."

"Don't you mean your beard?" he smirked.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"You think I don't know a fake relationship when I see one?"

"If you ever come near Chad again, for anything other than to apologize, I will tie you to the back of my car, drive you around the track several times to iniciate turf burn as well as many times of road rash, then lock you in a furnace room with only the bare minimum needs for survival, then release you with an incurable rash that's turned many colors and begun to smell." And that was enough for Ryan to wipe that blasted smirk off his face. But after swallowing hard, he dared to say:

"Is that a threat?"

"NO," Cemmy said after a moment, "that's a promise. My presence is a threat to your life." She let him go and smiled that smile that put the fear of God in anyone that knew her well. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

**Cemmy's just like me, this was pretty much a self-insert, and i would most definitely do this if it were me in her place. please review, or no next chappie!!!!**


	6. blows raspberry

**i, paranoid these days, refuse to go on with this story, seeing as how TWO people put it on their favorites, and SEVEN put it on their author alert, and i got 901 HITS!!!!! THAT MEANS, my dear readers, that people are OBVIOUSLY reading!!!!! and i have a whopping THREE consecutive reviewers, two of which i am under the impression lost interest, seeing as how they didn't review chapter five. so, if you people like this story, REVIEW, YOU LAZY LURKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this story will continue after i get at least four more reviewers. thank you. **

**sincerely yours, **

**paranoid these days**


	7. Chapter 7

**because of the constant nagging of a very stubborn reviewer, i am continuingthis story. but not because YOU want me to, but because **_**i**___**want to. so there. I was going to try to do this in, like, three or four chapters, but i couldn't. i just lost interest completely, and the only thing that could really bring it back would be reviews. and Celia, i love you sweetie, but i'm a review whore. i am, i admit it. so you should just be happy that i managed to get this out, instead of leaving you with the cliff. i was totally considering it too. **

It was like that for nearly three weeks, which, to some didn't seem like long, but for two couples who were always together, it was half an eternity. Especially since every time Ryan even looked at Chad Cemmy would nearly claw his eyes out. Chad and Ryan weren't talking, Cemmy would talk to Ryan if she was threatening him, Kelsi and Chad avoided each other, and Cemmy wouldn't even look at Kelsi. It was chaos.

It only got worse when Ryan and Kelsi broke up. Yes, it was true. East High's cutest couple--and please, they burned out Gabriella and Troy a long time ago--was no longer a couple. One day, exactly a month after that fateful day, Cemmy rounded a corner of the deserted hallways to find Ryan walking away from having just talked to Chad. Chad hadn't seen her, but Ryan did. And, once more, she shoved him against the lockers.

"_What _did I say about you talking to him?!"

"You told me not to talk to him unless I was apologizing."

"Did you?"

"Yes." Cemmy slowly let go of Ryan's shirt.

"Why... why did you break up with Kels? After what you said to Chad?"

"I don't really have to explain that." And he walked away. Cemmy ran after him and grabbed his arm. "What _happened_? C'mon, Ryan, I may totally hate you right now, but you know it's not for nothing."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "He's your best friend; he'll tell you. All I'm telling you is that maybe if you started talking to Kelsi again you'd get some answers."

"Yeah, right."

Ryan looked at her and said simply, "She really misses you."

---

"Chad, _tell_ me!" Cemmy whined. "I'm your best friend, I deserve to know!"

"Nuh-uh," Chad answered playfully, going back to the third grade. "All you need to know is that he apologized."

"Yes, yes," she said, waving a hand impatiently, "but what _kind_ of apology? Like, 'hey, sorry I tore your heart out; let's go back to being friends', or 'hey, I broke up with my girl, now it's your turn, then we can get together'?"

Chad thought a moment. "Well, neither, really, but closer to the second one."

"Really?!" Cemmy started jumping up and down. "Oh, my God, this is so great!" The she stopped. "But can I break up with you? Because you can be with Ryan after that, but the only pride I'll have left is that _I _broke up with _you_."

"Sure," he said absently, and continued to root through his closet. "I'm hungry."

"Me too. Let's go to the mall." She pulled her red high tops back on her feet, covering her mismatched socks. "Do you want to break up at school, or have already broken up when we get there?"

"Whatever you prefere."

"Chad," Cemmy said seriously, "are you sure Ryan and you are going to get together after we break up? Did he say that?"

"Cem, look, before you threatened to kill him, he said that he wanted to, but that we both had girlfriends and all that crap. So, tecnically, if we both broke up, that means there's really no reason for us to not get together."

Cemmy looked at him doubtfully. "Chad, you cannot set all your happiness on a tecnicality." She said 'tecnicality' like a disease.

"Cem, this is for real, okay? I can tell." Chad knew what he was talking about. If Cemmy had been there, she would've understood. Ryan was sincere in his apology.

Cemmy put a hand on Chad's arm. "I don't want him to hurt you again."

"He won't," Chad said genuinely. And then they left for the mall.

---

The next day, a Tuesday, Chad and Cemmy 'broke up'.

"Why are you not, like, at all upset?" Martha asked.

"Because," Cemmy said, drawing out the word, "it was a mutual agreement and neither of us wanted to continue. As it was, we were too good friends to work out as a couple."

"I guess that's what happened with Ryan and Kelsi, too," Gabriella said, and Taylor nodded.

No one noticed the way Cemmy tensed and pushed the rest of her lunch away, suddenly no longer hungry.

---

Cemmy decided it was best _she _break the ice, because Cemmy was the type of person to convince people easier that Chad. One day at lunch, when Ryan and Kelsi and Sharpay were rehearing some musical number, she said in her ever-so-tactful way, "None of you guys are homophobes, right?" Everyone answered vaguely, but it was enough. "Good. So, if, say, I was gay, none of you guys would have a problem with that?"

Chad was _so_ glad she was using herself as an example instead of him.

"Well," Taylor said, "I think it'd only be weird if you suddenly started hitting on us."

"Yeah," Troy said, nodded, "if, like, Chad were gay, we wouldn't care as long as he wasn't checking us out in the locker room."

"Huh," Cemmy said, thumping her spoon against her chin. "Interesting. What if, it were like, a couple? Like, in the group or whatever?"

"It would just be one more couple," Zeke shrugged.

"Yeah," Gabriella said, "we'd still love you. You're our friend."

"Well, that being so..." Cemmy paused, "Chad's gay."

Everyone laughed, but when Cemmy and Chad didn't join in, they stopped. "Uh... yeah." Chad nodded. "It's true."

"And so's Ryan," Cemmy said.

Troy shurgged. "Wel, that we'd always figured."

"If a chicken had lips, could it whistle?" Jason mused.

And the discussion proceeded from there.

---

It continued, odd looks from the gang when Ryan and Chad's relationship went public and Cemmy and Kelsi didn't really fall back into their previous friendship. When they went out as a group, Cemmy would hang around with Taylor, and things had never been weirder. Until Christmas break, and the Evans' had a party at their house. But once more, Cemmy was being oddly cagey.

Ryan suddenly appeared in front of Cemmy before she could leave. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," she answered. She was looking down. She continued staring at her feet when she said suddenly, "I'm sorry."

"Look--"

"No, really." Cemmy glanced up, and then back down. "I'm sorry I was so over-protective of Chad, and I'm sorry I let my inicial distrust of... everyone, really, take me over, and not wait and see how you would treat Chad instead." Cemmy hated how she could never use contractions when she was nervous. "He is really close, my best friend, and I love him. I hope you understand, but I was still wrong, and for that I... I apologize." Cemmy looked up once more, and Ryan's bright blue eyes were comforting.

"Hey, it's okay." Cemmy nodded slightly. "And I'm sorry too, because you had every reason to get al over-protective, because, even if it was just to see what Chad'd do, it was still pretty brutal to've said those things."

Cemmy nodded again.

"Also," Ryan went on, "I'm under the impression that a very large gift is necessary when groveling for forgiveness." Cemmy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the smirk on Ryan's face, until he walked away and was quickly replaced with a hesitant Kelsi.

"Hi," she said, hooking a brown curl behind an ear.

"Hi," Cemmy echoed faintly. For lack of something better to say, she said, "I'm sorry you and Ryan broke up."

Kelsi tipped her head, as if trying to figure her out. "I'm not."

Cemmy wondered momentarily if Chad had told Ryan s about her being in love, and whether he'd told Kelsi. "Why?"

"We didn't really like each other."

"Yeah, that's what Ryan said." But then a thought occurred to her. "Then why were you together in the first place?"

Kelsi answered, "Most likely the same reason as you and Chad."

And Cemmy forgot how to breathe. "W-what're you talking about?"

"I love you, silly. You're one of my best friends." And that could've been taken a million different ways, but unfortunately, Cemmy knew exactly what way she meant that. She didn't know. Shemeant precisely what she'd said: 'you're one of my best friends.' But it didn't matter. That was what Cemmy'd had before, and it had been enough. It would have to do, now, as well.

Cemmy pressed her lips together when she felt the backs of her eyes tingle. "Don't give me this then take it away," she said, her voice wavering.

"I won't."

---

About halfway through the party, after nearly twenty minutes of searching that enormous house for his boyfriend, Chad felt a warm body wrap around his. "Come with me," Ryan said in his ear, appearing out of nowhere.

Chad thankfully took his hand and followed him out of the madness and to a door of the attic, which was where the party was being held, for the simple reason of the fact that Sharpay seemingly had a heart and felt bad about all the work their maids would have to do the next day if the party was held in the whole house. Given the dementions of the house and the room, Chad thought the door would lead to a terrifying plummet to certain death. Instead it lead to a small balcony, overlooking what could have been a garden, but that was covered in snow in December.

Ryan shut the door behind him, and the sudden quiet seemed overwhelming. Snow was falling softly, in the blue-black moonlight the field looked like something off a Hallmark Christmas card, except for the two figures below. As the moon came out from behind a cloud, it became clear that the figures were Kelsi and Cemmy.

"What do you think they're up to?" Chad asked.

"I have no idea, but I hope it's good things."

They stood in silence for awhile, wrapped in each other's arms. The moon slid behind a cloud once more, leaving them in darkness.

"I love you." Ryan said suddenly.

There was a pause. It wasn't an awkward pause, it wasn't one in which Ryan felt rejected, it was simply a surprised pause. Surprised and flattered. In years to come, he knew he'd remember that pause, it was good. He didn't want to hear an instant 'I love you', he didn't want it to be an obligated declaration of love and if Chad had responded instantly it may have gnawed at him that perhaps Chad didn't mean it.

"I love you too." In the half-light, Ryan could hear rather than see the smile on Chad's face.

In the dark, his lips found Chad's, for a deep kiss that left them both breathless. When they broke apart, the moon had come out again, Cemmy had gone, leaving Kelsi in the middle of the field, seemingly unaware that snow was falling on her bare arms, as she stood slightly dazed, touching her lips thoughtfully.

**and... it's over. please review, and maybe i'll write you an epilogue, explaining things with chad and ryan and kelsi and cemmy in the group. if you want to know. and you know you do, so review. **

**i'd also like to apologize once more to celia. honey, as it happens, i didn't even realize how ironic that speech ryan made to chad was until you mentioned it. but i couldn't explain it in the fic so i will here. apparently, that speech ws just to see if chad would get with the program and come out or whatever. yeah. that's the stupidest explanation i could come up with, but it's also the only explanation i could come up with. so sorry. but now i'm going to say something i didn't think i'd be able to for this fic, and that is:**

**THE END**


	8. epilogue

**an epilogue, as promised.**

Chad laughed and pushed Ryan's hand away as he, for the countless time, stuck his finger into one of Chad's corkscrew curls and stretched it out, then letit spring into place. "Stop it."

"Why?" Ryan whined, and reached for another curl, but Chad leaned back and Ryan followed, till both were so inclined that they fell over onto Ryan's couch. Chad chuckled, hands on Ryan's waist. The blonde sealed his mouth over Chad's, so that the basketball player's laughter died in both their mouths.

Before things got too heated, Chad's cell phone rang, and a tinny version of "Toy Soldiers" vibrated against his back. He pushed Ryan gently off him and answered, "Yeah."

_"Hey, we're going to the movies, you wanna come?"_

"Who's we?"

_"Er... everyone? Except Cemmy, haven't seen her around lately. So you up for it?" _

"Ryan too?"

_"Uh, no, some other blonde dancer you're screwing. But I myself prefer Ryan."_

"Hang on." Chad pressed the phone into his shoulder, asked Ryan, "Do you wanna go to the movies?" Ryan nodded his consent and Chad answered to Troy, "Yeah, we'll be there. Seven? Alright, see you there." He closed his phone and pushed Ryan back down, a playful smirk playing on his lips. "Where were we again?"

"Well--"

And Chad's phone rang. Again. Ryan grabbed it and flipped it open. "Hello?"

_"Hi, Ryan, _Cemmy's voice said. _"Uh... I did call Chad's phone, right?"_

"Yeah, I just answered. Do you want me to give the phone to him?"

_"Nah, you're probably better for this. I was thinking of getting another tattoo. On the underside of my wrist, just for the sheer stupidity of it. Hearts are too overdone, but I can't think of anything else relating to love."_

"So get something musical. You know, like part of a song."

_"Ryan, you're a genius. One day when you leave that curly haired loser I'm going to marry you."_

"Good luck with that," he laughed, and hung up. He turned off the phone and resumed his previous activities.

---

The collective sarcastic/sincere 'awww's around the table had Chad and Ryan not kissing past small pecks, because really, it got seriously annoying the way all the girls would start fanning themselves, probably thinking up sick fantasies involving threesomes and schoolgirl uniforms.

Halfway through lunch, Cemmy said in a lull in the conversation, "Guys, I want to show you my newest tattoo." She lifted the long sleeve of her navy henley, and on her wrist was what looked like a strip of sheet music, inked onto the skin in red violet. Ryan hummed the notes. "Goo Goo Dolls?"

Cemmy nodded. "Iris, specifically the guitar solo just before the last chorus."

Kelsi leaned over to get a closer look, possibly the only person who noticed 'K.N.--I just want you to know who I am' written in the folds of the rose she'd gotten done underneath.

---

"Do you think he'll like me?" Kelsi asked.

Cemmy wrapped her arms around the pretty girl in front of her and kissed her forehead. "Sweetie, if he wasn't a fairy, he'd be as gone for you as I am." They were already at the cemetary, and Cemmy took her hand, tugging her along, motioning for Ryan and Chad to follow as well, leading them through headstones and stoppingat her brother's. She dropped to the ground beside it.

"Hey, Ace," she whispered softly. "You remember Chad?" Chad waved, smiling sincerely and letting out a 'hey'. "This is his boyfriend, Ryan."

"A pleasure to meet you," Ryan said.

"And Ace, I know how much I complained about him to you, but he's not that bad. Not bad at all, really." She took a deep breath, pinning a loose neon red curl back into her messy bun. "It's been hard without my big brother here, to help me with the things I'd need one for, y'know? But I've been doing okay." Cemmy looked down and bit her bottom lip. She extended a hand to Kelsi and the girl stepped forward, taking her hand and lowering herself to the grass as well, setting down the flowers she'd brought. Cemmy layed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Ace, sweetie, this is Kelsi. She had me at hello."

**and there it is. sorry it took so long, sorry if it's not any good. but i'll never know if you dont leave me a review. **


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